


“I love you”

by MidnightFanfics



Series: Merlin Drabbles [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur is overworked, Fluff, M/M, Merlin is a Little Shit, SO MUCH FLUFF, Teasing, flustered Arthur Pendragon, light banter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28510080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightFanfics/pseuds/MidnightFanfics
Summary: “I love you.”“Merlin?”“Hm?”“Shut up.”Or; Merlin is being a little shit and distracting Arthur with a particular set of three words.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Drabbles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2005255
Comments: 8
Kudos: 160





	“I love you”

Merlin bustled his way through the king’s chambers to pick up everything that had been strone about during the day, blue eyes glancing up every now and then to the figure behind the table. 

Arthur had been buried in papers, treaties, and reports since a fortnight ago. The king hadn’t caught a break yet. Merlin noted to wipe out some of the work for him tomorrow while he’s off training with the knights. 

The window was open to let in a light breeze. All was calm with the companionable silence in the room, only until Merlin had to go and open his mouth to disturb it. 

“Arthur?” Merlin asked, a cheeky grin appearing on his face as he made the bed.

Arthur gave a sigh from his stacks of papers not even bothering to look up at his manservant. “What is it, Merlin?” He asked tiredly, hands still scribbling his response on a fresh sheet of parchment. 

“I love you.” 

The king sputtered and nearly knocked his bowl of ink off the table from embarrassment. Arthur looked up at his manservant with a glare, though he wouldn’t admit it had a fond undertone in his eyes if anyone ever asked. 

“What brought that on exactly?” Arthur replied steadily, eyes retreating from the staring battle he unwillingly started. Merlin just grinned brighter. “Oh nothing, sire. I just wanted to see your reaction.” 

Arthur’s face heated and ducked back down to his papers, how in the world was he supposed to reply to such a bold declaration? 

Silence overtook the chambers again and Merlin went about the rest of his chores with amusement. 

It was when Merlin stoked the fire that Arthur managed a reply. 

“I love you too.” 

Merlin looked surprised to where the king was sitting, who was blatantly looking anywhere but at his servant. Arthur would _not_ give Merlin the satisfaction of embarrassing him. 

The young warlock chuckled and looked at the fire one last time to make sure it wouldn’t die out for a while, and if anyone asked, his eyes didn’t glow a brilliant gold as the flames grew. It was merely a reflection. 

Merlin got back up to his feet, hands resting on his hips as he stared at his king. He decided to test his luck again. Flustered Arthur was worth it, Merlin barely got anything worthwhile to make the king flush so deeply. 

“Arthur?” Merlin asked again, this time with a light teasing tone. 

The king stiffened in his spot at the sound of the warlock’s voice, bright blue eyes looking back up to Merlin with curiosity and annoyance. “What is it this time Merlin?” 

“I love you.” The young warlock pressed, voice dripping into a honeyed down tone. The king’s face lit up like a torch. His embarrassment was clear in the way he shuffled his feet under the table.

Arthur took in a breath and looked back down at his papers. “Merlin, I might love you, but please do _shut up_.” 

Merlin grinned and leaned his weight on the other side of the table, “Are you embarrassed, sire?” 

Arthur scoffed and dipped his quill back into the bowl of black ink. “I don’t get embarrassed, _Mer_ lin.”

The servant raised a brow, “I love you.” 

The king still had a reaction to the bold statement, ears turning red to give away that he was not used to the words being said so often. 

“Merlin- I swear, I need to finish this without distractions.” Arthur responded shakily and closed his eyes with a breath. 

“Oh, so I’m a distraction now?” Merlin said quizzically, eyes beaming with mirth. 

Arthur frowned, “You’ve always been a distraction.” 

Merlin beamed and leaned closer to the king, who in response leaned back in his chair away from his servant. Eyes widening after he realized what he said. “Wait- I didn’t-” 

The servant just laughed and leaned back onto his heels again. “I got all the information I need. Goodnight, sire.” 

Merlin turned and left the room with a king yelling at him to cut out his nonsense. 

  
  
  


A few minutes passed after the king’s servant had left. The room fell into another bout of silence as another breeze blew in to ruffle his papers and to tame the fire still blazing over the logs. It popped and crackled, the sound drawing his attention away from his papers.

The king was still curious on how Merlin could keep the fire blazing like that nearly all night long, he has never managed to make such a feat. Maybe it was just one of the talents his servant has to prove himself useful.

Stop that.

Arthur shook his head.

Stop thinking of your idiotic servant with his stupidly cute ears and insubordinate personality that would make Arthur melt for some stupid reason and his taunts and blue eyes staring at Arthur like he was the best thing in the wor-

The king sighed. Paper work will be even harder to focus on now Merlin had pulled that stupid stunt. What had Merlin been thinking to distract him like that? Completely unfair. 

The door to his chambers opened and the king snapped his head in the direction of the doors seeing how no one would be dumb enough to open the doors without knocking first. A head with dark curling black hair and big ears peaked around the door. 

Merlin gave him a smile. 

“What in the world are you doing, _Mer_ lin?”

His servant hummed, “Just to come tell you that I love you.” 

Arthur flushed down to his neck and put the back of his wrist against his mouth to steady his heart rate. It is _definitely_ not safe for his heart to be beating _that_ fast. 

“Merlin?” 

“Hm?”

“Shut up.” 

Merlin grinned, “Good night, Sire.” 

Arthur drug the palm of his hand over his face with a sigh, “Good night, Merlin.” 

  
  
  


The peace didn’t last long into the night as the moon reached its peak. Arthur was still sitting at the table with a mountain of paperwork he just managed to focus on again, but as fate had it, the king would not be able to finish them tonight. 

Old wooden doors that lead into his chambers creaked open loudly and in stepped his manservant who had his signature grin pressed across his face. 

Arthur gave another sigh, setting down his quill and looking back up at the servant who yet again disturbed his work. “What, _Mer_ lin?”

Merlin looked him dead in the eye. “I love you.” 

The king stared back for a while before slowly taking his goblet off the table and throwing it at his manservant, who conveniently opened the door wide enough for it to block the projectile thrown at him. 

The manservant hummed with victory. 

Arthur fumed, “Go back to bed, _Mer_ lin. You’re distracting me.”

Merlin leaned against the door in a smooth manner with an alluring look plastered on his face, “Am I so distracting that you can’t even make it to the bed?” 

Arthur stared at his servant with a vacant look as he connected the words with the perverted context, which only seemed to fuel the beating off his heart pounding in his ears and the heat traveling down to his shoulders this time. 

Once his mind connected with his right arm, Arthur took off his shoe that was still on his foot and launched it over the table at Merlin. 

The servant once again managed to dodge the attack with a cackle at Arthur’s reaction and pulled his body behind the door again. 

“That was bold of you, sire. If you wanted me on the floor so bad you could’ve just asked.” Merlin smirked. 

Arthur gaped at his servant, “ _Merlin!_ ”

Merlin slammed the door closed at the sound of his shouting king, yeah, tomorrow’s list of chores might’ve piled up twice the normal amount, but Merlin at least got what he wanted. 

**Author's Note:**

> Second Merlin fic- so maybe it’s not bad? This is based on what I put in my last Drabble in the “end notes” place. Some people liked it so I decided “heck, why not.” Hope you’re having a good new year!


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